Why is it Always Owls
by Ryderdye
Summary: Katalina Vinicio was just an average girl. Living with her average Aunt in their average apartment. Getting stalked by a court of creeps wearing owls masks? Totally normal. She didn't need any help. Especially from Batman and his short sidekick, Robin. Besides, she always did have a strange affinity for those big-eyed birds... ...Guess now she'll find out why.
1. Disclaimer

A/N: Hello, my name is Ryderdie and I'm the author of this fanfic. Before you begin reading, I just want to clear up a few things:

1\. I do not nor ever will, though to my great sadness and many tears, own DC Comics or any of their characters. So no, I don't own Batman.

2\. The only things I do own are my OCs and the storyline, plus my cat, but that's a moot point.

3\. This is a clean book kiddies, maybe minimal cursing though

4\. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome.

5\. I am not responsible for tears and/or random outburst of anger or laughter

And there you have it. I think that covers everything. The only thing left to say is I hope you enjoy my book. ;)


	2. Face Claim

Vica Kerekes as Katalina Vinicio

**"**There's not enough make-up in the world to cover these freckles**"**

Dove Cameron as Clara Foster

**"**I might be blonde, but I'm not that blonde**"**

Lucky Blue Smith as Matthew Rhodes

**"**Is that normal? Cause if it is, I'm concerned**"**

**A/N: I decided to just do my OCs and that you, my readers, could decide how you want the others to look.**

**Thank you for clicking on my story and please leave a review. I'd love to hear how I'm doing.**


	3. Prologue

**Prologue **

* * *

We have nothing to fear but fear itself...and of course the boogieman

-Pat Paulsen

* * *

Whoever said we have nothing to fear, but fear itself, has never been to Gotham City. I know what you are thinking, then why are you living there. Two reasons. 1. We are born here and 2. We are just too stubborn to live anywhere else. Plus, after living here for years, you take on an attitude quite like Gotham's weather. Blank and dismal. We couldn't live anywhere else. I mean, could you see a Gothamite living in Metropolis? Ha! That city is as chipper and goody-goody as the big, blue boy scout that protects it.

The city's not all bad though. You just have to get past the crazy clowns and drug lords. Oh, and a word of advice, if you see a crime just drop your head, avert your eyes, and calmly walk away. It's worked for me. Plus, learn some self-defense. I've had to use a few moves (not those kinds of moves, get your mind out of the gutter) to escape every now and then. I'm not a damsel in distress waiting for Batman or Robin to save me. *Cue eyeroll* And remember, The GCPD is about as useful as a fork in a bowl of soup.

And that brings me to my next topic: Our city's heroes. What Gothamite hasn't seen one of the famed caped crusaders? Living here you're about guaranteed to see one of them at least once. Yes, I am thankful for the job they do for this city, but really? Who is dumb enough to dress up in a spandex suit that looks like a bat and beat the ever-loving tar out of criminals? Like why? I'm also concerned about their rules. It's not okay to kill, but critical head damage is A-Okay? Personally, my hero is Red Hood. The only man willing to do what the Bat won't. Nightwing? He's Blüdhaven's Gotham reject. We didn't want him, so we gave him to our sister city. Red Robin is like a mini Batman. And Robin…. is a self-absorbed prick. Trust me, I met him once. I was. Not. Impressed. And like HOW MANY KIDS DOES THIS GUY HAVE!? It's like he put up a sign that read: "Black hair, Tragic past, or orphaned? Would you be willing to be trained and thrown out on the streets to be killed? Call-(000)-000-0000." Why?! Is he just some child obsessed sicko? He must be because who in their right mind takes little kids, teaches them to fight, and then send them out to pummel criminals? You are probably thinking I don't like heroes. That's not the case, like I said before, I respect them, yes, but I think they are weird.

And I just realized I never introduced myself. I'm Katalina "Kat"/ "Lina" Vinicio. I'm fifteen and I attend Gotham Academy. I'm a normal child with good grades, and an only child. My parents were killed when I was eleven and now, I live with my, quirky yet sweet, Aunt Janice. And…That's all you need to know about me. I mean it's not like you're going to read my life story on the next page or anything.

Now enough of my rambling,

Welcome to Gotham, where everyone's either dirt poor or filthy rich. And the air comes in two flavors: crispy or bitter. Where the rain never stops, the villains all have MAJOR issues, and your happiest day is your last. Still with me? If you are you've got more guts than I gave you credit for…kudos.

Here is where I insert some stupid cheesy line like "My story starts here" Or "it began like this" but I'm not cheesy so either read it or don't, it's up to you.


	4. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

** "**I'm just like a slinky, worthless, but fun to watch fall down the stairs**"**

-Unknown

* * *

March 14, 2015

_Rain. The acrid, suffocating smell of blood. Drip. Drip. Lifeless bodies hung from the ceiling fan, their blood dripping from the holes in their heads and making a puddle on the once pristine carpet. _

_Snap_

_The flash from a detective's camera. GCPD Commissioner James Gordon, let out a deep, world-weary sigh. _

_ "__Gordon." A deep, guttural voice made the Commissioner jump and whirl around to face the familiar dark figure. _

_ "__Batman." The Dark Knight stepped into the apartment, his young sidekick, Robin, trailing behind him as always. Gordon briefly wondered where all these kids came from, but he shook the thought out of his head to focus once more. _

_ "__What are we looking at Gordon?" Batman growled. _

_Gordon once again sighed, "Lucius Vinicio, age 35 and his wife Annabelle Vinicio, age 34. The trashed apartment suggest they put up quite the fight. Approximate time of death is around 6:00 P.M. caused by a single gunshot wound to the head at very close range. Then the bodies were strapped to a ceiling fan. They were found by their next-door neighbor, Lois Connors, around 9:00 P.M. when she came over to borrow some sugar. She found them hanging here," He pointed to the suspended bodies, "Then dialed the police. According to her, the couples' young daughter, Katalina, is missing." _

_The Dark Knight nodded once in confirmation, "Has the whole house been checked?" _

_ "__Every room we could find." _

_ "__TT. Not every room." Gordon had almost forgotten about the kid, usually he was more vocal. Gordon raised an eyebrow at the kid's allegation, then threw his hand out in a sweeping motion, "You can look around if you want." Robin nodded once, like father like son, and moved to investigate. _

_If Robin's suspicions were correct, and they always were, there was a safe room behind the bookshelf in the master bedroom. (Don't ask how he knew. I, the author am not even sure. He's Batman's son.) He slowly walked up to the shelf and perused the books. There. A copy of _A Tale Tell Heart by Edgar Allen Poe_. He pulled the book and the shelf slid to the side. Robin looked over his shoulder to his father and Gordon, a smug smirk plastered on his face. Batman strode over to his son and opened the metal door. _

_The door creaked on its hinge, but slowly it gave way to a dark and semi-dusty room. In the middle of the floor, a little girl, no older than Robin, sat hugging a stuffed bunny to her chest. Tears staining her cheeks and pooling in her big, brown doe eyes. She stared wide-eyed at the two men and young boy in front of her. Batman cautiously approached her, kneeling to her height. The girl whimpered and moved back. The Dark Knight raised his gloved hand in a sign of peace, "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. You're safe now." The girl unfurled from her position on the floor and made her way to Batman's outstretched hand. Her palm was small and fragile in his as he took her hand and gave it a small shake, "I'm Batman. What's your name?" The child's other hand tightened its grip on the bunny's ear, "Katalina." _

_ "__Katalina. That's a pretty name. Could you come with me Katalina, I have some nice people who want to talk with you." Her eyebrows furrowed, "Mommy and Daddy told me to stay in here until they came to get me, because the bad men broke in." The girl perused the room in confusion, "Where are they?" The Great Detective shared a look with the Commissioner. Gordon stepped towards her, "Your parents…went away for a while." _

_Her head tilted to the side, "Went away?" _

_ "__Oh, for the love of…, your parents didn't go away they died, and they aren't coming back." Batman turned to glare at his sidekick. _

_ "__Dead?" The girl croaked. Robin rolled his eyes, "Yes, dead." Katalina started to silently cry. _

_ "__Robin!" Batman reprimanded _

_ "__What?" the Boy Wonder shrugged, "She would have found out sooner or later." _

_Gordon ran a hand down his face while Batman pinched the bridge of his nose. Picking up the crying child, he covered her in his cape and proceeded to carry her through the apartment. Making sure to avoid the living room. No child needed to see THAT…_

* * *

October 1, 2019

The slight rustle of duvet covers as the curled-up figure unfurled. Stretching like a majestic tree leopard. Embracing the new dawn, poised and graceful ready for anything…yeah right. This is how it actually happened.

_Beep. _

_Beep_.

"Holy apple pie!" The lanky teenager yelled as she jolted awake, her feet tangling in her covers causing her to fall to the floor with a hard

_THUMP _

"Owwwwww." The girl groaned from on the floor. Her lower body tangled in her purple comforter.

"What was that?" A concerned, motherly voice yelled from downstairs.

The girl rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and answered, "I dropped my shirt on the floor."

A huff, "Kinda loud thump for a shirt!"

The teen smirked, "Yeah, well, I was in it!"

A snort and loud laughter. Katalina could almost picture her Aunt's mirthful expression. She almost smiled herself. Almost. The big bruise on her hip stopped her mirth from forming. With a loud, over-the-top, drawn-out sigh, she painfully made her way to her bathroom to prepare for hell. Or, as her Aunt calls it, Gotham Academy. After she showered and brushed her teeth, Katalina wrestled with her long, semi-curly/wavy flaming red hair. Then she placed it in a ponytail (ain't no one got time to mess with hair in their eyes), keeping a few strands out to frame her face. Then, she straightened her bangs and turned to complete her most daunting task; Her GA uniform. She shimmied on her to-short-to-be-a-rag pleated skirt and donned her pristine white blouse, tucking it inside her "skirt". Finally, her vest with the GA crest embroidered on the left side. Thick black-framed glasses found their home on her face, covering the splattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Ahhhhh, she could see again.

Katalina managed to only trip and fall once while worming her way out the door, hopping on one foot to slip on her knee-high, black sock—the other sock gripped in her teeth—, and her tie slung haphazardly around her neck. If she wasn't careful, she might strangle herself. Arriving in the kitchen, one sock done one to go, and her mouth finally free, Katalina used her elbow to tip the fruit bowl on the table and role an apple into her mouth. Now try and understand, her Aunt Janice was leaning against the kitchen doorframe, cup of coffee in one hand, and a look of fond amusement on her face.

"Need a hand, Lina?" Her Aunt asked with a chuckle.

"Nope, I've got this." Is what she really meant to say, instead it came out more like, "Ope, I gah 'is." Janice looked unsure, "M'kay, I have no clue what you just said, but I think it was something like, 'Yes, my doting Aunt, I'd love some help."

Katalina playfully narrowed her eyes, and with her last sock on, took the apple out of her mouth, "I said, 'Nope, I've got this.'"

Her guardian just nodded, "unconvinced" written all over her features. She calmly sipped her coffee then spoke, "You missed the bus by the way. It left a few minutes ago."

Her niece whirled around, "THE BUS LEFT AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME!"

"You said you had it under control."

"YeAh JuSt NOW NOt a few MiNuTes Ago!"

The coffee sipper just shrugged and turned to walk away, but not before calling over her shoulder a cheerful, "Love you Kitty Kat! Have a nice day at school!"

Kat let out and inhuman screech and dashed to the door, sliding into her shoes, throwing on her coat, and yanking her backpack up to her shoulder in just a few seconds. Skidding out her door and onto the sidewalk. She stuffed her face with food while dodging civilians –who threw her muffled curse words and threatening gestures as she bumped into them—and cars. Why! Was she in trouble or…oh. The laxative she put in her Aunt's boyfriend's food. She'd forgotten all about that. In her defense the dude deserved it, there was something fishy about this "Hal Jordon" character. But she didn't deserve to have this as her punishment. Everybody who knew her, knew that if Katalina Vinicio is _running_, you sure better start running too. As she passed a trash can, she expertly tossed her apple core in—littering is bad y'know, don't want Nightwing nagging her (you think she's kidding? She's not, he's done it before.)—then set about tying her tie, as she approached the prestigious GA.

* * *

_Hi, Katalina, here, I just want to take a moment to reflect on my school. Gotham Academy was like a shining pillar in the heart of Gotham. The massive brick walls and colossal size of the building can make anyone's head spin and newbies quake in their black polished shoes just thinking about trying to converse its halls. _

_Along with being the top dog, where everyone who's everyone sent their snobby brats, it also gave scholarships. Which yes, as cliché as it sounds, I'm a scholarship kid. Depressing right? Want to know what's more cliché? That like every other freaking school, it had cliques. You have the rich kid snobs, the nice rich kids, the scholarship kids, the loners, the plastics, the jocks, and the rich loners (who can be jerks *Cough Wayne Cough*). _

_Not only was it intimidating in size, but Bruce Wayne funds the whole shebang. Ah, money, the only green that can make the world go around more than trees. (I have no idea what I said either, just go with it). I think that's all I wanted to say, so carry on. If memory serves me correctly—when does it ever though, am I right? —something very weird is about to happen. Only me right? _

* * *

Katalina rushed up the brick road to the monster looming in the short distance, casting a shadow over the lush green grass where young kids were conversing. She slowed to a walk as she noticed that the GA school bus was NOT actually parked in its usual spot! Her Aunt lied to her! Well, look on the bright side, at least she wasn't late to school. She huffed and straitened her crooked tie then buttoned up her navy blazer. Lastly, she pushed her glasses up for good measure and stood off to the side of the building to wait for her best friend. As she was waiting, a limo pulled up to the school. With the way everybody's head turned, you'd think they've never seen a limo before.

Kat stared on with bored eyes as an immaculately dressed old man—he had to be older than sliced bread—stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the back-passenger door, allowing a figure to step out. Figure, because she couldn't actually see the person, BUT judging by the screaming and fainting girls—some were franticly fixing their hair, makeup, and purposely flashing more skin than allowed—it had to be, without a shadow of a doubt, Damian Wayne. She could already see him now, stepping out of his car like he owned the place, though that was, in reality very close to the truth, and striding into the building with a frown permanently etched on his face. No longer caring to see what the Wayne kid was up to, Katalina returned to waiting on the bus to arrive.

She didn't have long to wait. The GA bus pulled to a stop and Katalina kicked off the wall to casually stroll up, mentally preparing herself for the angry tirade her bestie was going to unleash upon her. Sure enough, a toe-headed girl skipped down the bus steps and up to her awaiting friend, a 1,000 mega-watt smile stretching her naturally rosy lips. Her baby blue eyes were shining with an unnatural naivety and kindness for a resident Gothamite, her attitude more resembling that of Metropolis. Instead of an angry tirade however, as Kat was expecting, her friend bounced on the tips of her toes in front of her, eagerly awaiting the explanation of why her bus buddy wasn't with her today.

"I messed with my Aunt's boyfriend, who I don't like by-the-way, and so she played a dirty trick on me. She told me the bus left, when clearly it had not." A tired expression on her face. Her bubbly blonde buddy (try saying that ten times fast) just nodded her head in understanding before speaking, "I figured it was something like that. I wasn't expecting you on the bus today after you told me he was coming over for dinner. Katnip, you are always attracting trouble."

Katalina faked offense, "Not true, I don't attract trouble," a sly mischievous smirk found home on her lips; her brown eyes glinting with mirth, "I embrace it."

Her companion, Clara Foster, rolled her eyes good naturedly, "Don't I know it."

The girls shared a laugh as they made their way inside the the big oak doors and down the shiny marble-floored hallway is Katalina's locker. Kat turned her combination and put the books in her bag. Suddenly, girls start screaming and shouting. Not again. Damian Wayne was marching down the hallway. Looking over to complain to Clara, Kat turned and opened her mouth, but soon shut it when she saw the utterly lovestruck expression on her friend's face. _Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Him?Of course, they would make a cute couple._ She could see the crappy romance story now.

Beautiful, bubbly, and optimistic Clara Foster befriends the rich, bad boy, diamond in the rough, Damian Wayne. As their friendship progresses, they fall in love, causing the lead female character to consult her sarcastic and single friend (Villager B, also known as Kat) for terrible relationship advice. Ultimately, Damian opens up to her and becomes a kind and generous soul. Bleh. But as Villager B (Which Katalina is very happy with, thank you very much. She has plenty of excitement in her life already. Yesterday, she ate a Hawaiian pizza; living in the fast lane here, people.), it's her duty to help Clara gain her crush. No matter how cliché it is. Bet he has a tragic past and a soft spot for animals too. Her thoughts were broken when Damian turned his head and gave a short, curt nod to Clara. Kat barely had time to catch Clara before she swooned to the floor. Grunting, Kat steadied Clara's weight and adjusted her hold to free one of her arms.

Slap!

"Huh!"

THUMP

Kat dropped her to the floor and smirked down at her, "Oops, sorry."

The blonde grumbled as she picked herself up and straightened her skirt, "Sure you are." A shrug was her only response.

As the two girls walked to class, Kat bit her lip then said, "Soooooo, you like Wayne?"

Cue the rapid 'no' head shake.

Kat looked at her bestie, unimpressed, "You look like a wet dog shaking off water, stop it. Plus, you literally just fainted in the hallway when he acknowledged your presence."

"OK, yes, I like him. Honestly, who doesn't? He's handsome and smart; I just know that he has a kind soul under all that gruff."

Katalina made a puking sound, "Ok! Ok! I get it!" She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. Then she smiled deviously at her friend. Clasping her hands together on her chest, Katalina put a lovey-dovey smile on her lips and batted her eyelashes, "His eyes are like pure cut emeralds, his hair gravity defying and black as a Gotham night. And oh, his jaw looks like it was chiseled from stone." Her hand went to her forehead as she fake swooned. Clara pushed her friend's shoulder humorously, "I do not sound like that."

She hip checked Katalina as they turned the final corner to their classroom. Kat ran ahead to open the door with an over done bow and a flourishing wave of her hand, causing the blonde to chuckle and walk into class. There were two seats left. And sadly, were not next to each other. One, was next to Wayne, while the other, was next to some girl Katalina didn't know the name of, nor did she particularly care. Obviously, the red head pushed the blonde towards the seat next to Damian then turned to head to her seat. Clara sat in her chair and turned to her friend, mouthing "I hate you"

Katalina just gave her a wolfish grin, and while walking backwards to her new seat, she made a heart with her hands then pointed to her irate/embarrassed friend, mouthing, "Love you too" then sent a wink and an air kiss for good measure. Her friend huffed and flipped her hair, turning to face forward in her seat. Kat sat next to her seat buddy with an air of satisfaction. Score one for Villager B. She turned to her chair mate to introduce herself but froze when she met the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen in her entire life (granted it hasn't been a very long life). A million oceans could never compare to their vibrant hue. Stars reflected from them and shot sparks straight into her heart and…_Oh my gosh I've become William Shakespeare_.

The point is, is that these were the most beautiful eyes in creation…and they didn't belong to a girl. Somehow, Katalina had miscounted her steps, and the number of empty seats, causing her to sit next to a very attractive young man. Well, she wasn't going to complain. She finally snapped out of her thoughts long enough to realize that his lips were moving. _Oh crap, how long have I been staring?_ Panicking, Kat did the first thing she could think of—which looking back, was admittedly, very stupid—and blurted, "I'm sorry I haven't caught a word you're saying."

The boy blinked then said, "I'm Matthew Rhodes, and you are?"

"Katalina Vinicio, but you can call me Kat, or Lina, or anything really, or nothing at all, I mean it doesn't really matter. And I should probably stop talking before I scare you away shouldn't I?" _Oh gosh Lina, now you've done it. He probably thinks you're a freaking weirdo._ Kat groaned and buried her face in her hands. But to her utter surprise the boy just chuckled and replied with, "Your fine, I think it's kinda cute," he paused, "Katniss."

Katalina blushed five shades of red. This is gonna be great. Note the sarcasm. Kat nodded awkwardly, then turned to face the teacher. A Mr. Ralph Leachman was their history teacher. A severe, austere, and twig-like man, who had no time for children even though he was a teacher. He was creepy, though not as much as the toupee on top of his obviously bald head. Who did he think he was fooling with that rug? Certainly not her. Nor is he fooling anyone else. All hairless teachers aside, Katalina enjoyed history. The fascination of the mistakes and great conquests of those long ago. Her pen flew across her notebook paper, dutifully taking notes. Head periodically looking between the ever-filling paper and the board; only half-hearing her teacher's lecture. Which is probably why Katalina failed to hear the teacher call on her name.

"io…."

"iss Vinicio."

"Miss Vinicio!"

Katalina's head jerked to his face in surprise, eyes wide and mouth partly open. The tip of her pencil held between her teeth. "Yes, Mr. Bal…. I mean Leachman?"

Said man huffed derisively, "Miss Vinicio, it would serve you well to pay attention during class, I would so hate to not have you next year. If you don't pay attention in class your grades could very well drop, and you'd lose that precious scholarship of yours."

Kat had to refrain from growling at the man. How dare he use her scholarship to insult her! She had worked to bloody hard for that piece of paper to have it trampled upon by this dimwitted, pompous ingrate. With clinched teeth she bit back, "Yes, Mister Leachman. I apologize. What was the question, sir?"

As much as she wanted to rip into the man, she couldn't. If she did, she quite possibly, might be, expelled. That was something Katalina couldn't let happen, her Aunt, bless her heart, just didn't have the money to send her to any other school, and while she could go to Gotham City Central Highschool, Kat would rather not get shivved in the lunch line. Or taken hostage by the Joker. Or have Poison Ivy be the substitute Biology teacher no one knew was coming. Or…you get the picture. Though everything in her was screaming to give the man the thorough tongue lashing he deserved, she held her smart remarks and sucked it up.

_Do it for your Aunt. Do it for your Aunt_. Katalina repeated the line like a mantra. _Aunt Janice doesn't deserve the headache of finding you a new school or just trying to afford it. Not after all she's done for you_. With a calmer mind, Kat looked up to her teacher. Satisfied he finally had her attention, he once again sniffed, then repeated his former question, "Miss Vinicio, in what year did Caesar Augustus rise to power?"

"That is a trick question, sir. Do you mean when he first gained the throne after Julius Caesar's assassination, which would be in 44 BC, or do you mean when the power was fully relinquished to him as a divine ruler in 27 BC?"

Mr. Leachman sweat-dropped, "Um," awkward throat clearing, "Divine rule Miss Vinicio."

"Then the answer to your question would be 27 BC and just for fun his reign ended in 14 AD, when he was then succeeded by Tiberius." A fake sugary-sweet smile on her lips.

"Very Good. Now as I was saying, Caesar Augustus…."

Katalina toned him out once more. She contentedly returned to writing her notes until the end of class. The lovely RING of the bell saving her from her least favorite teacher, but sadly heralding the end of her favorite class. She leaned over her seat to deposit her books into her bookbag, then she stood. A hand on her wrist caused her to stop and turn, once again meeting the shocking blue eyes (really eyes that pretty shouldn't be legal; it's not fair for other people.) of her seat mate.

She raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Um…well, I'm new here and I don't really know where any of my classes are. I wanted to ask if you could show me around? Maybe? Possibly?"

She almost smiled at how cute he was. Instead, she settled for a small smirk, "Yeah, sure, follow me." She hefted her bookbag to her shoulder then nodded her head in the universal "follow me" symbol. She turns and walks out of the class not stopping to see if he followed her. As she walked over the threshold of the door, she was accosted by a mass of angry blonde.

"YOU!"

"Me?" Katalina tilted her head coyly.

Clara rolled her eyes, "Yes, you! You left me with Wayne. Do have any idea how awkward that was."

Kat opened her mouth to answer, but the other girl held up her hand, "I'll tell you how awkward, very awkward."

The red head bit her lip to keep herself from laughing at her friend's woes. Rather than respond, she inclined her head to Matthew, who was looking vastly amused by the girls' (though admittedly one-sided) conversation.

"As much as I would love to listen to your 'why-Katalina-is-an-awful-friend' speech, I volunteered to show Matthew," said boy waved at Clara, who returned the gesture, albeit a little embarrassedly, "around the school. So, if you'll excuse us…"

Katalina moved past her friend, pulling Matthew behind her, "Run!" she whisper-shouted. The two of them burst into a sprint down the halls, leaving a shocked Clara, her jaw dropped. She composed herself long enough to shout after her "best" friend, "This isn't over Katnip! We will talk about this later! That's a promise!"

The running teen girl grimaced, _Yeah, I'm gonna pay for that later_. _Sorry not sorry_.

As Kat's laughter drifted down the hall, half-mocking and half-genuine, the blonde shook her head ruefully. She loved her friend, don't get her wrong—who else would put up with her rant on which milk flavor was better: chocolate or vanilla? —but recently she'd been acting weird, well, weirder than normal. A feat in and of itself. Clara pondered—yes, pondered, she might be blonde, but she's definitely not stupid (most of the time)—the redhead's behavior while walking to class. She was hiding something, but what? As far as she knew, Katnip's aunt was in great health, and still had her job as the desk receptionist at Wayne Enterprises.

She worried her bottom lip. In all the years she had known Katalina—ever since they met at the Wayne Enterprise Building when they were twelve—they had been practically joined at the hips. Clara thought about the day she met the feisty girl who would become her best friend. Her father had been there for a deal with Bruce Wayne, Kat was there because it was a Saturday and her Aunt couldn't find a babysitter. The bored tween girls had quickly formed a partnership. They raced in the wheeled office chairs and rode the elevators up and down. Eventually garnering the attention of the security guards. They had gotten into a lot of trouble, but they had also formed an inseparable bond that would last for years.

Clara could read the redhead like an open book. Which brought her to where she was now. Though usually grumpy and broody, Kat seemed in a worse mood than normal. The only thing she could think of was the anniversary of her parents' deaths, but that was months ago. Maybe she was going through an early mid-life crisis or her monthly. Yeah. The blonde sat in her seat for class. Whatever it was, she would have to interro-*cough* _persuade_ Katalina to tell her later. Semi-satisfied, Clara opened her Chemistry notebook to begin class.

*_Time Skip_

Ah lunch, every kids favorite time of the day. Katalina usually loved this time. She sat with Clara and they complained about teachers, classmates, and schoolwork. She also learned early on to arrive either as one of the first or one of the last. She found out the hard way that if she arrived in the middle of these two times, she would be swept away by the Damian Wayne fan-club. Kat would have felt sorry for the boy if he wasn't such a brat.

He took spoiled rich boy to a whole new level. Like was he raised to rule the world or something? Ha!

Anyways, back to her current predicament. Katalina had been detained by the awful and soul-wrenching realization that she had lost her bookbag in a class. She had desperately looked for the precious bag but couldn't find it anywhere. Now she had to converse the halls while actually _carrying_ her books. Ugh. With a sigh, she pushed her way through the students packed in the hallway like sardines, carrying her books by hand. BY HAND! Kat huffed, her bangs blowing up at the action. The halls were almost impenetrable, people flooding every available inch. All to get a glimpse of _ONE HUMAN BOY!_ Granted he was loaded. She had heard he lived in a _mansion._

While the rest of Gotham starved and slaved to barely scrape by, Wayne lived in the lap of luxury. It was disgusting.

Suddenly, an elbow knocked her forward into another person, who in turn angrily pushed Kat into yet _another_ person. This loiterer was "casually" leaning up against their locker, one foot crossed over the other. The same foot Kat tripped over, sending her reeling towards the marble floors. Her books and papers thumped and fluttered to the floor as she braced herself for her own face-to-floor impact.

It never came. Instead, the petite redhead found herself in the most cliché position. A strong arm supported her back and both of her hands were placed on her rescuer's chest. Katalina opened her brown eyes and started to thank her "knight". That screeched to a halt and died an ugly death as she noticed just _who _the boy was.

Wayne.

Of course it was. Acutely aware of just how close she was, Kat pushed off his chest, trying to put space between them. Quickly, she spun on her heel and proceeded to pick up her scattered school supplies. Great. Now she was going to miss lunch completely. To her utter surprise, a hand materialized in front of her face, holding some of her books.

Grudgingly Kat muttered, "Thanks."

Damian simply raised an eyebrow. All he'd been trying to do was walk to lunch without getting mobbed and had reacted on pure instinct when the girl tripped. Damian felt somehow obligated to help her pick up the scattered books. With her books safely secured in her arms the redhead turned to leave.

"You could show more gratitude. I didn't have to catch you."

Katalina turned around, mouth agape, "Excuse me?"

Damian smirked, "You heard me."

Katalina stared at Wayne with disgust. Who did this boy think he was? Fine. If he wanted to be like that. "I didn't ask you to catch me. So I'm sorry being a decent human is so hard for you." With a fake sugary smile, she turned and started pushing her way through the crowd.

Kat shrugged and elbowed her way through the throng of teens. The cacophony of the different and warring voices was giving her a headache. Shouts of 'Hey!' 'Excuse me' and 'Did you hear what happened to Daisy Jones and Michael Phillips yesterday?' echoed down the halls and found purchase inside her ears, convincing Kat that if she stayed and listened any longer, her brain cells would start dying. She growled low in her throat as she tried (read: failed) to weave around a hoard of football jocks.

Something niggling in her brain told her to look to her left.

There, like Moses parting the Red Sea, Damian calmly walked behind her through the hall of teenagers. Everyone frantically moved to the sides so as not to offend the Prince of Gotham. He easily strolled down the halls, while Kat pushed and fought her way to the cafeteria. Huh, kinda like their lives. People bow down to him because of his wealth and status, he walks through life confidently with no struggles. While she, on the other hand, couldn't even afford to buy a bag of chips from the school vending machine. Though that could be attributed to the fact that the prices were obscenely high. She got it, everyone here but her was rich. No need to rub that fact in.

Back to the matter at hand. As she was struggling—worse now that the kids were parting to make room for Wayne—a voice called out to her. Sadly, it wasn't an angel with a holy intervention, who'd save her from all her troubles. No, because the world was cruel, and apparently the devil got a kick out of torturing her, the voice belonged to the center of her problems.

"You seem to be having a hard time, Vinicio," he smirked arrogantly, "Do you require assistance?"

Ok, now he was just mocking her. She was about to tell him where he could shove his 'assistance' when she arrived at the lunchroom. Fortunately, for him or for herself Kat was unsure of, this meant Wayne would be saved from her verbal tirade. Instead of deeming him with an answer, Kat craned her neck to see over the crowd, praying that she could find her friend's familiar blonde head so she could escape the raven-haired boy. Who, by the way, was _still_ waiting behind her. For what Kat had no clue, nor did she particularly care. As long as she got rid of his presence; preferably soon and forever.

There! Like a beacon in the cold, darkness of night, a halo floated over a head of flowing blonde locks. Wait…no. That wasn't Clara. Deciding to take Wayne's 'gracious' offer, Kat spun to face him. Whoa, he was _rightbehind_ her. Brown clashed with deep green—that strangely seemed to glow, which was kinda creepy if she thought about it. She backed-pedaled quickly, "Ever heard of personal space? It's this little bubble that surrounds everybody and should never be broken, unless you want something to be broken. And why are you following me?"

"Do I need a reason to walk behind you?"

She didn't hesitate, "Yes."

He shrugged, "I'm just making sure you get to the cafeteria without maiming someone."

Kat rolled her eyes, "For the record, they bumped into me first," Damian raised a suspicious eyebrow. She nodded her head, "It's true, this kid bumped into me and then another shoved…and why am I explaining myself to you? The point is, is that I am not a walking hazard that you need to watch, so, yeah. You can go away now." Kat turned to walk away, her hands waving to Wayne in what could be taken as either 'good-bye' or 'go away'.Truthfully, she didn't care, provided that it got him to leave her alone.

"Katnip!" Ah, there Clara was.

The blonde grabbed her arm and hauled her to a mostly empty table. Blinking rapidly, Katalina tried to compute how on earth they arrived too their seats so quickly. Evidently, Wayne wasn't the only one who could part the proverbial 'Red Sea' of teenagers. "What was that back there, Kit Kat? Oh! Also, you left this in class." Clara tossed Kat's bookbag to ! Kat couldn't contain her little happy dance before sitting down.

Setting her books down, finally, those things were heavy, Kat opened her bag and slid the books inside while pulling out her lunch. Taking a bite of her sandwich she asked, "What was what?"

Clara curled her nose at her friend's lack of manners, "You know what. And chew with your mouth closed. Gosh I shouldn't have to tell you this! Your fifteen and you know basic manners, use them."

Katalina swallowed then grinned at the girl across from her, "Ok mom."

The blonde gave a faux offended gasp and placed a hand over her heart, "I'm wounded."

A chuckle just to the right of the two girls caused them to swivel their heads towards the noise. They blinked then looked to each other as if confirming that, yes, you see that too? Ok good I'm not crazy.

_I had completely forgotten he had even existed. Whoops._

Belatedly realizing, she had, in fact, as the two were leaving their shared class, invited the handsome boy to sit with her and Clara at lunch, she sheepishly smiled at him, "Sorry Matt. I forgot you were there."

He smiled and waved off her concerns, "That's fine. Honestly, if you forgetting I'm here means you two will continue your riveting conversation, then please, by all means, forget my existence."

The two girls laughed at the blonde boy. Seemingly taking his advice, Clara grabbed Kat's arm and turned her back to face her, "Anyways. What happened with you and Damian?"

"Oh that," Kat nodded sagely, "I tripped in the hallway and he caught me. Then he just followed me here so I apparently wouldn't 'maim', his words not mine, anyone else." She took a bite of her lunch. Reaching across the table, she stole Clara's carton milk, taking a drink before placing it back on the tray. Matt simply raised an eyebrow, while Clara gasped and whacked Kat.

"Katalina Maria Vinicio! That was my milk!"

The redhead looked at the other girl innocently while batting her eyelashes, "Was it? How was I to know you didn't grab it for your very best friend?"

"Katniss has a point, Goldilocks."

Clara gave Matt an offended gasp, "Goldilocks! And you're taking her side?!"

Matt nodded.

"Ha! Thank you, Matt!"

Clara crossed her arms and playfully pouted. Taking the teasing in stride.

"I hate you both." Well, mostly.

After lunch and the final classes for the day, Kat left for her cheerleading practice. In the girls' locker room, she changed into her blue/white/silver striped tube top with long sleeves. Then she pulled on her normal short skirt (It was a dark blue on top until midthigh then it had a white strip surrounded by silver and dark blue accents. A triangle shape was cut into the skirt for mobility). Finally, Kat changed her uncomfortable knee-high socks and Mary Jane shoes for the white ankle socks and white cheerleading shoes. Frantically, she grabbed her silver and blue pom-poms and ran to the football field.

The other cheerleaders were leaning on the benches. Some popping bubble gum while others texted on their phones. From the middle of the student bleachers, Clara waved down to Kat. Clara never missed one of the redhead's practices. Always there to give her support and encouragement. Sasha Goldman, their lead cheerleader, strolled up to the group, popping out one hip and placing her hand on it.

"Alright, girls, listen up! Last practice you were all sloppy. Jenny, you tripped after landing your roundhouse; Carrie, you need to work on your handstands. And let's not forget the disaster that was the pyramid! Yikes! Because of the bottom people's sloppy stances you dropped Kat," Kat winced at the memory of dropping from the top of the pyramid, "I don't want to see that happen today." The brunette clapped her hands, "Now get to work."

The teens girls lined up to start their routine. Kat was convinced she could do it in her sleep with how much they practiced it. The preppy music started as the girls got in their stances. Kat slid left, in time with half of the other girls. The three girls in the back cartwheeled and flipped down the split middle. Once reaching the front they spread apart, joining their arms to create a base for the pyramid. Kat cupped her hand with another girl's to help launch Sasha to the middle of the pyramid. The remaining cheerleaders on the ground shook their pom-poms, waiting for me to launch off the awaiting trampoline onto the top.

_Deep breaths. You've got this Kat._

From the bleachers Kat heard Clara call out, "You got this Kat! Go for it! WOO!"

Kat backed up and took a running start. Roundoff, launch, slip, land.

Wait…land?

Breathing hard. Kat landed on the top with her hands poised towards the sky.

_I did it! Yes!_ She could hear Clara cheering in the background. As she looked towards the bleachers, she paused at the new person sitting near the top. She squinted to get a better look and realized with a gasp that it was Wayne.

_What on earth is he doing here? Has he come to previous practices?_ Kat searched her memories but she had no recollection of him ever being here before. _Weird_.

Dropping into an awaiting groups arms, Kat stood and walked to the bench. Looking up to where Wayne was, she saw that he had disappeared. He was just…gone. Either Wayne had burrowed into her subconscious already or someone looked just like him. Or Damian was the Flash. The last was just ridiculous. Damian? A superhero? Ha! Yeah right. She shook her head and turned to complete the rest of her practice, putting all thoughts of the raven-haired boy out of her mind.

* * *

_If only I had known just how much of a hero he actually was at the time, maybe I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now._

* * *

**A/N: Hi y'all! Sorry this is out so late, but I've been super busy and I'll try to do better!**

**Let me know if there are any mistakes!**

**Please R&R, Ryderdye ;)**


	5. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**"**Sometimes you meet such a prince, that you'd rather marry the horse**"**

-Unknown

* * *

**_March 14, 2015 _**

_The shivering girl clung to Batman as he carried her out of the apartment. Robin, for once, quietly and obediently following behind his father._

_Gordon was already waiting for them outside, standing in front of a squad car. Katalina sleepily rubbed her eyes, every so often sniffles escaping her. With more tenderness than thought possible, Batman handed off the small child in his arms to the capable arms of the Commissioner. Kat clutched the Dark Knight for only a moment before relinquishing her grasp, tentative to let the vigilante go._

_The scene now became blurrier for the girl, who was grasping at the last straws of consciousness. The stress of the night taking a toll on her young body. Kat hardly remembered being placed in the back seat of the police cruiser. Or being buckled into place. However, she did remember the soft, hushed whispers that were exchanged between the two men._

_ "__Does the girl have any other family?"_

_Gordon rubbed the bridge of his nose, "An Aunt, I think. We'll have to look into it down at the station. Do you think she's safe?"_

_Batman's gruff voice carried to the girl's ears, "I'm not sure." With that the two famed heroes of Gotham disappeared into the shadows from whence they came._

* * *

**_October 1, 2019_**

Katalina huffed as she almost dropped her contact into the dirty sink in the girls' dingy locker room. This is why she was always a few minutes late to practice. Stupid eyes. Yet, if she wanted to do cheerleading it was imperative that she changed from her regular frames to contacts. Didn't mean she liked it, though.

Finally wrestling the contacts into their case, Kat pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. Picking up her discarded bookbag, she turned and headed out the door.

_Ow! Light!_ Kat winced at the sudden brightness of the sun and did what any sensible person would do…she hissed and stuck her tongue out at the glowing orb.

"At least this time, you didn't crumple to the ground wailing, 'My eyes! What a world! What a world! What a—and death!'"

Kat turned to see an amused Clara with Matthew—who was trying not to snicker but was failing horribly—standing behind her.

Pursing her lips, Kat sniffed disdainfully, "Not all of us can enjoy the sun like you, Clara. If I'm exposed for too long, I turn into a lobster." The blonde girl rolled her eyes, while the blonde boy gave her a look of skepticism. Kat nodded sadly, "Seriously, I've had fishermen chase me down by the docks when I had a bad sunburn before."

They both laughed, causing Kat's fake pout to turn into a tiny smirk. Katalina opened her mouth to say something else when her phone rang. Holding up a finger, Kat shot the two an apologetic smile and answered her phone.

"Hello, Lina?"

"No this is Patrick." Kat answered with an eyeroll.

"Ha ha. You should be a comedian when you grow up. You'd make tons of money. Just tell them stories about your life."

"Can feel the love from here, Auntie."

"Good. That was exactly what I was going for."

Sighing, Kat rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Do you need something Aunt Jan?"

"There is a hole where my stomach used to be and judging by the noises, I think it's declared war. Do you think you could drop by and bring me a sandwich or something, please? I'll let you borrow my gray sweater you've been bugging me to let you wear…"

Darn her Aunt and her wonderful bribes, "Fine. I'll be there in a half-hour. Don't waste away into a pile of dust. And stop using the business phone to call me to bring you food. If Wayne catches you, you might get fired."

Her Aunt dramatically gasped, "You mean if he wakes up long enough from one of his many cat naps? I think I'd have bigger things to worry about than Mr. Wayne firing me. Like the impending zombie apocalypse. Or a mob of angry women coming to lynch him for his crimes against the female populace."

Kat snorted, "Yeah, yeah. I get your point. I'll see you soon."

Her Aunt made a kissy noise through the phone, "Love you, Lina. Be careful, okay?"

Kat nodded even though Aunt Jan couldn't see her, "I will."

With that, she hung up the phone and turned back to Clara, "Sorry that was my Aunt, she wants me to bring her some food at work."

Clara mock nodded in understanding and, when she noticed Matthew just standing there, lifted a hand and placed it on his head, using it to forcefully nod his head for him. "Go save your Aunt from the brink of starvation, Kat. We can't have her _dying_; she makes good cookies."

Kat's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "You mean those instant-bake dough cookies in the tin?"

"Yes, those."

"Wait. That counts as baking?" came the incredulous response from Matthew.

Clara bounced over to Kat and slung an arm around the red-head's shoulder, "Of course it counts. You still have to put it on the pan and then in the oven."

Kat huffed and knocked the other girl's arm off her shoulder, "Alright, well, as fascinating as this conversation is, my Aunt wants food and I told her I'd be there in a half-hour."

Matthew waved, like a normal person, while Clara tackled Kat into a hug—if only just to annoy the girl.

"Get off of me."

"You know you love me."

Matthew smiled at the red-head's cute scowl. Not, that he would say that to her face. He liked living too much to ever say anything about her being cute or adorable. He watched the two girl's in silent amusement. Clara was clinging to Kat like a koala. Matt shook his head as he watched the two of them argue, the red head trying and failing to push the other off of her.

"…Do not make me throat punch you," Katalina threatened.

Matthew snorted.

Clara fake pouted but released her death grip. Kat smoothed out her now wrinkled blazer. "I promise I'll call later to go over Halloween costume ideas with you okay?"

The blonde nodded in satisfaction, "I'm holding you to that. Oh! And don't think I haven't forgotten about earlier either. Bye KitKat!"

Kat grimaced while nodding in resignation. Matthew shot her an apologetic look, "Bye Katniss, see you tomorrow…if Clara doesn't kill you."

Then the boy bounded after Clara, who was skipping across the GA lawn. Katalina sighed and reached into her book bag, pulling out her headphones after rummaging around in what she called 'Narnia in book bag form'. She scrolled through her song selections before settling on Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Suede. She turned the music up until it blared, blocking out all other noises. Then…she danced.

It was probably a very unordinary sight.

Kat did have to admit that.

A teenage girl twirling and dancing down the sidewalk, jumping off trashcans and using street poles to swing herself around corners. In all honesty though, it was less likely she'd trip when she was dancing than if she was walking.

(Clara called it her "clumsy grace theory". She had observed that Katalina was prone to tripping over everything [air, people, cats, her own feet, sticks, etc.] but she was amazingly graceful when it came to her cheerleading or dancing. It was baffling and certainly intriguing. How could one person perfectly pull off a triple back spring but trip and faceplant just standing up from her chair?)

Turning a final corner, Kat approached her target.

'Pete's Sandwich Shop' was painted in gold lettering over a large glass window overlooking the crowded street. A little sign on the door posting the shop's hours hung crooked under the bigger sign (also crooked) reading :** Come on in! We're Open **in a familiar messy scrawl.

Kat and her Aunt loved this place. It was close to their apartment and not to close to The Narrows. Plus, Pete makes the best ham and cheese sandwich you've ever tasted in your life.

The bell above the paint-chipped door chimed as Kat pushed her way inside, the smell of freshly baked bread making her mouth water. She strode up to the counter with a habitual ease. The older gentleman behind the counter looked up from his job of scrubbing the counter and grinned, the action making the small crows feet around his eyes stand out a little bit more.

"There she is! My favorite customer!" He greeted.

Katalina snorted and leaned against the counter, "Don't let my Aunt Jan hear you say that," she pouted and placed a hand over her heart, "You'll break her poor heart."

Pete's watery blue eyes twinkled in amusement, "Now we wouldn't want that now would we? Can't go killing off customers, it's bad for business."

"Speaking of business, my dear Aunt is dying of starvation and I need two orders of our usual, please."

"Coming right up Little Kat. Hey! Joey! I need two ham and cheese, one with mustard one without and one of Pete's Sugar Lips Lemonades!" The older man yelled to the cook.

Joey, or as he preferred to be called; Joe, was the thirty-some-year old sandwich "chef" that Pete hired some five years back. Joe had a slight (read: huge) crush on my Aunt Jan, even going as far as proposing to her on several occasions. Aunt Jan took it all in stride and in every situation turned Joe down with a nice, but firm, 'no'. The cook wasn't going to be swayed so easily, and like James Potter chasing Lily Evans, he never gave up. However, unlike James, this 'Lily' could avoid him (sending Kat to get any and all future food pick-ups).

While waiting for her order, Kat perused the small room. A single booth seat sat in front of the previously mentioned glass window, the red vinyl booth seats a little old and worn with yellow padding beginning to poke through. The table was chipped on one end, the affect of it being thrown through the, again previously mentioned, glass window. Multiple times. The white tile floor was showing the beginning signs of needing to be replaced and the florescent light above the counter flickered in and out constantly, but the place had a homey feel to it, despite the fact it was a little grungy. To Katalina it felt like her second home. She had been coming here since she was ten-years-old and her Aunt had told her she wanted to show her something. She had brought the little girl here, and even though she'd been a little skeptical her Aunt had told her that she was going to love the place. And she had.

The nice man behind the counter ("Hi kid, you can call me Pete. What's your name?") had instantly taken a shine to her, making her one of his special lemonades and giving her a dum dum sucker.

The same man was standing in front of her now (though a little more worn. A few wrinkles and more salt than pepper in his hair.) cursing at his old timey cash register and still the same big-hearted man he had always been. With a final curse and a whack that would make the Fonzie proud, the cash drawer to the register dinged and slid out.

"AH-HA! Blasted thing never works right these days. Have to get Joey to unstick it sometime…again," He muttered under his breath.

Kat snickered, but dutifully handed over the exact amount of money.

Pete handed her the bag of food, "Alrighty, here you go little miss. Enjoy the rest of your day and say 'hello' to your Aunt for me, okay?"

"Will do Pete," With a salute Katalina pushed open the door, the bell ringing, and the lingering shouts of, "Tell Jan I love her!" and "Go back to the kitchen Joey!" following her out onto the sidewalk. Some things would never change.

Next stop on her list was a small café on the main street just a few tall buildings away from her final destination: Wayne Enterprises.

She selected a new song (1985 by Bowling for Soup) and carefully made her way to Main Street.

The café, The Coffee Nook, was a nice building. The wrought iron chairs and tables in front of the brick building were shaded by a dark green canvas overhang with a scalloped edge trimmed in white. The name of the establishment was in a dark green lettering on the door. A fancy script making it obvious that this place was the epitome of perfection and elitism. Kat opened the door, meeting a blast of warm air face first. She self-consciously wrapped her coat tighter around herself, hoping to shrink away from the disapproving stares of the fancy men and women in business suits.

Her scuffed mary-janes shuffled across the polished oak floor and up to the black marble counter-top. Kat looked up at the black board behind the counter, deliberating what her Aunt would want to drink. The words were written in a neat cursive with white chalk, not a smudge nor a mistake to be seen. When the man in the business suit behind Kat made a huffing sound and checked his watch, she decided to fall back on a tried and true classic, an iced vanilla latte.

After telling the peppy young woman behind the counter her order (even the barista made her feel out of place with her black slacks, white blouse, and black heels. Pair that with her flawlessly done make-up and cute messy bun and Kat felt like a poor commoner) Kat paid and moved off to the side to wait for her order.

The dim lights made it a little hard to see, but that could also be the fog that was covering her glasses—curtesy of the transition from Gotham Autumn cold to cozy warm in just a few seconds. A little reading area was on one side of the room, a gray stone fireplace at the far end and a bookshelf up against the right wall. The left wall was a long window, polished to a glistening perfection, with two plush chairs situated to face it, yet still collect heat from the fire. To top it off, a faux sheep-skin rug sat innocently in the middle, its soft plushness just tempting anyone to lay down and take a nap.

The other end of the café had a few wooden tables and chairs, each occupied with people in suits in varying degrees of work. Some were talking quietly on phones (no doubt making "life-changing" deals for the lower people of Gotham), some were silently reading over papers and files (The only sounds they made were the occasional page flip), while others were furiously typing on laptops or tablets (no doubt they were the actual workers).

"Vinicio!"

Katalina grabbed her coffee and thanked the barista, trying to send her a friendly smile without showing how relieved she was to be able to leave the café.

Walking out was like a breath of fresh air.

Literally.

To the face.

Cold and bitter.

Her glasses fogged up for a second time. Unperturbed, Kat made her way to the tallest building in the heart of Gotham. Her Aunt Jan's workplace. Standing on the sidewalk outside the building was admittedly daunting. In all honesty, Katalina had been to her Aunt's workplace numerous times, but never in all these years had the tower lost any of its, well, towering presence. It felt like the glinting skyscraper was mocking you from above, silently judging all who entered through her revolving glass doors.

With a fortifying breath, Katalina prepared to march into the lion's den and face her glasses, once again, fogging. She mingled with the crowds of business suits rushing to get in, jostling to and fro between them. _Now I know how the cattle felt on those old Western cattle drives_, she though derisively. Eventually she made it through the glass doors and was pushed into the main lobby, the crowd dispersing to their intended locations. The polished white floors gleamed under the overhead crystal chandeliers, so polished you could see your reflection in it. A cascading waterfall fell over the back wall in front of the big, bold letters stating: **WAYNE ENTERPRISES**. Slightly in front of the grand water display was the front desk. There sat her Aunt, looking quite spiffy in her navy-blue suit, but also frazzled if her once professional chiffon—which was now frizzy with wisps falling out to kiss her cheeks—was anything to go by.

Peoples chatter echoed off the cavernous room's walls, sleek shoes squeaking across the floor, while one hand carried a briefcase and the other a coffee.

Phones ringing off the hook.

And when she said phones, she meant _phones_.

Nine all together. For one lady (in this case her distressed Aunt) to answer. Last Katalina knew, her Aunt only had two hands. No wonder she looked so stressed. With that though in mind, Kat walked up to the receptionist's desk, patiently waiting for her Aunt to page the phone calls to the right floors and people. She unpacked her aunts' sandwich and placed the iced coffee on the desk surface. Finally, her Aunt hung up the last phone and smiled at her niece.

"Ugh! Thank you! You're such a life save—COFFEE!" her Aunt squealed as she greedily snatched the cold beverage and took huge gulps.

Aunt Jan closed her eyes in bliss for a few seconds before she grudgingly parted from her drink to address Kat. "Seriously, thank you. I was swamped with phone calls and I couldn't leave to take my break, so I really appreciate this."

Kat smiled, "Of course. Any thing else you need before I head home for the day?"

He Aunt pursed her lips, "A new job?"

"Sorry Auntie, but I just didn't have the space for it in my bookbag."

"That's a shame. Well then I guess you're useless now so you can go."

Kat snorted, a wry smirk twisting her lips, "Mhm. Tell me something I don't know," she grabbed the remaining sandwich and her drink before kissing her Aunt on the cheek, "I'll see you at home. Try not to kill Mr. Wayne or any of his bimbos, last thing we need is a murder publicity scandal."

A cheeky smirk and wink were quickly thrown her way, "No promises, Kitty Kat."

With a mock drawn-out sigh, Kat tipped her head towards the ceiling (being blinded by the glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling for a few moments) before shaking her head and waving good-bye to her snickering Aunt. Kat joined another herd of suits leaving through the revolving door, glasses once agai—oh you know the drill, and weaving her way among the crowded walkway. She paid no mind to the limo pulling up along the curb, to caught up in her lemonade from Pete's and the music (Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop) humming in her ears.

She should've paid attention.

Mostly because the door opened.

And hit her.

Yes, that's right. The door to the limo opened and smacked her right in the chest. Her lemonade went flying, dumping all over herself and the limo door, her poor sandwich fell to the ground and forlornly rolled across the street (it then promptly managed to get hit by a passing taxi and fling itself into a sewage drain opening.) Katalina however, was laying on the sidewalk staring up at Gotham's grey smoggy sky and wondering what just happened. The crowd had enough kindness to go around her prone body, though apparently none were nice enough to _not_ step on her fallen glasses, the crushing sound of glass making her cringe and whimper. A blob of a face appeared above her. The outlines fuzzy and indistinguishable without her glasses.

"Are you alright, Vinicio?" the figure questioned.

Oh no.

Oh no.

OH no, no, no, no, NO!

She new that voice. She knew who only used peoples last names. It couldn't be _him_. Of all the people whose doors she had to get attacked by, it just had to be _his_.

Damian Wayne.

Kat groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. _Please be a dream. Please be a dream. When I open my eyes, he's going to be gone and I can get up and go my merry way…_

_1..._

_2..._

_3..._

She opened her eyes. His blurry form was still hovering over her, unfortunately. She whimpered for a second time.

"Vinicio?" he questioned, managing to sound a tad bit concerned.

He kneeled next to her, "Can you sit up?"

Realizing that, yes, she was still lying on a Gotham City sidewalk and that was gross and she probably had gum in her hair now, Kat grunted and started to push into a sitting position, warm hands coming to rest on her elbow and mid-back helped gently push her until she was sitting up. The hands then quickly removed themselves to drop at his sides. Her head gave an awful twinge and she raised her hand to combat the ache, glaring at the boy in front of her all the while, "You hit me with a car door."

Wayne shrugged, or at least it looked like he shrugged, "Technically, it was a limo door and you walked into it."

She spluttered indignantly shooting daggers at Wayne with her eyes, "Walked into it?! I did no such thing! YOU," here she tried to poke him in the chest, but she missed and jabbed his cheek instead, "opened the door without looking and now," she vaguely gestured to her fallen bookbag, broken lemonade cup, and cracked glasses, "I." jab to the shoulder, "CAN'T." jab to the neck (he made a weird gurgling sound which made her feel giddy), "SEE." She went for another jab, this time hopefully to the stomach, but he caught her hand.

She settled for trying to kill him with her eyes.

Wayne sighed and opened his mouth to say something when a kindly looking older man approached them, "Here you are Miss Vinicio, I took the liberty of procuring some ice for your no-doubt splitting headache."

Thankfully, she took the proffered ice, which was wrapped in a white handkerchief, and put it on her forehead, "Thank you, erm…"

"Pennyworth madam, Alfred Pennyworth."

She smiled at his impeccable manners and British accent, "Well I appreciate your concern Mr. Pennyworth. At least _some people_ these days still have good manners."

Wayne tutted, "Yes thank you, Pennyworth, but I think she's in good health."

"You hit me with a car door!"

"It was a limo door."

"That doesn't make it any better!" She winced as yelling made her head throb worse. Oh well, she was mad, and she was going to yell.

She felt around on the sidewalk for a moment before picking up her broken glasses, one lens was missing completely while the other had a crack running straight through the middle. She groaned, "Great, just great, how am I going to get home if I can't see to walk?"

She was technically talking to herself, so she didn't expect an answer.

"We might be of some service Miss Vinicio, considering that it was young Master Damian who hit you with the limo door and caused this predicament, that it would be only right to see that you arrived home safely."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Mr. Pennyworth, though it was very kind of you to offer—"

"Nonsense, Miss, it will be no trouble at all. Master Damian if you could grab Miss Vinicio's things?"

Wayne sneered, picking up the bag and grabbing Kat's elbow to help her stand. He practically shoved her into the limo, her head banging off the ceiling as she fell in.

"So clumsy." He muttered.

Kat growled, fixing her skirt and sliding as far as she could away from him.

Alfred looked back to them from the rearview mirror, "Where to Miss?"

Kat gave him the address and as he pulled away from Wayne Enterprises, she took the time to study the lavish limo, a hard task without her glasses, so she relied on her touch and smell.

The seats felt like butter under her fingertips and they smelled like expensive Italian leather. She felt like she was making the cars value go down just by sitting in it. Wayne moodily sat across from her on the other side, arms crossed and broodily sulking at the window. After a few moments, the silence began to grate on Kat's nerves, so she cleared her throat, "So…Mr. Pennyworth, how many years have you worked for the Waynes?"

The older man replied without taking his eyes off the road, "A great many years Miss, I worked for the Waynes when Master Bruce was a child. And you may call me Alfred, Miss Vinicio."

Katalina scrunched up her eyebrows, "How do you know my name?"

They had stopped at a red light, so Alfred took the time to look in the rearview, one eyebrow arched. Kat had also noticed that Wayne started shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Young Master Damian has mentioned you a time or two."

Kat gave the boy a dry look, "Oh he has? What did he say?"

Wayne cleared his throat, shifting a little in his seat, "I think it would be best if you focused on driving now, Pennyworth. Please alert us when we've arrived." He clicked a button which made a black partition slide up, blocking the driver's seats from the back.

Kat raised an eyebrow, "I wanted to know what he was going to say."

Wayne gave her a haughty look, "That is none of your concern."

She huffed leaning back against the seat and settled into another awkward silence. A few more tense minutes passed before the limo pulled to a stop and a gentle knock on the partition sounded.

Sighing in relief, Katalina opened the door (mindful of walking pedestrians) and grabbed her bag, stepping out in front of her slightly rundown apartment building. A scoff from behind her alerted her to a presence behind. Wayne was staring at her building with a mixture of disgust and contempt, like a rat was going to crawl across his shoe at any given time, "You live here?"

Kat felt her pride sting a little, "It's no _mansion_…" she trailed off bitterly. Then she sighed, "Thank you for the ride Mr. Pen—I mean Alfred."

"Any time Miss. It was a delight to finally meet the young lady Master Damian mentions so often."

Katalina snickered in amusement at Wayne's indignant shout. To her surprise when she went to leave Wayne spoke up, "Will you require assistance to get to your apartment?"

She whipped around to face him in surprise, she was fairly sure her jaw was scraping the ground because he made his 'tt' sound and said, "What? I can be polite."

Kat thought about his offer, the stairs would be hard to navigate without being able to see, and grudgingly admitted that she could use some help. Wayne followed her in silence, trailing behind close enough that she could faintly smell his cologne (something fancy, yet so so nice smelling) but far enough away that he didn't crowd her personal space. She self-consciously unlocked the gate and entered the building, acutely aware of the trash and mold growing in the corner stairwell, the broken and creaking steps which she led him up (she stumbled once, he had reached out to grab her elbow to steady her. She observed he had a strong grip, but surprisingly gentle too) and her slightly off-white door, the number 12 hanging at a sharp slant. The two being upside down completely. She played with her keys and turned to face Wayne.

"Thanks for walking me up…and for the ride."

Wayne, in an uncharacteristic move, rubbed the back of his neck with a bit of sheepishness, "I did hit you with a limo door."

"Now you admit it."

"I will admit it was _partially_ my fault for the accident."

Kat laughed and smiled a little, "I'll take that as your apology."

They settled into a somewhat comfortable silence. Until the neighbor across the hall threw a beer bottle out into the hall, the shards crashing against the wall next to Kat's head, "BE QUIET OUT THERE!" he bellowed.

Wayne glanced at the door incredulously then to Kat.

She shrugged, "Mr. Miser—yes that's his actual name—he gets drunk a lot at night and he sleeps over his hangovers during the day so when he gets grouchy and people make noise he throws empty beer bottles at them."

Wayne furrowed his eyebrows but didn't say anything else on the matter.

And just like that the awkwardness was back.

"So…" Kat started hesitantly, "Thanks again and I should probably go before he throws something else at us, but…yeah."

Wayne nodded and with a slight wave, disappeared back down the old staircase. Katalina unlocked her apartment door with a sigh and walked in, dropping her bookbag by the door and kicking off her shoes. After hanging up her coat she leaned against the door.

Stomach grumbling, head aching, and mind reeling, she groaned.

* * *

_I always knew how to find myself in the stickiest situations. _

_He always knew how to get me out of them._

* * *

**A/N: ~Guess who's back? Back again?~ **

** *Ducks behind her laptop* So it's been how many months? Whoops. I'm so sorry about the wait and I can't promise that the next one will be out soon, but here you guys go, another chapter! Now I know there might be some inconsistencies between this chapter and the last chapter and that's because I didn't like the way that the story was flowing from the first chapter. I will get around to editing this story sometime I just don't have the time nor the energy right now to do so. I will though! But for right now it will be a little wonky. Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews! Made my day when I read them!**

**P.S. My face claim for Aunt Janice is Gwyneth Paltrow when she played Pepper Potts!**

** R&R,**

** Ryderdye ;)**


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